In-person analysis of Tegha sword:
Hilt:
Silver Inlay/Koftigari:
85-90% of the original silver inlay (Koftigari) is still intact on the hilt. You can tell the koftigari was applied in very generously, the pattern is very thick and shows the royalty and power of the original owner of the sword.
In addition, you can tell the koftigari took a long time as it covers the entirety of the hilt.
Hilt Design:
The bottom disk of the hilt is manufactured to have a slight upwards position which would delegate how the swords would have been used. I also noticed a very rare cobra on the end of the knuckle guard - this must've been the first Indian sword hilt I've ever seen with such a hilt.
Hilt marriage with sword:
Upon inspection I'm pretty confident that the marriage between the sword and hilt were never "broken" as the "glue" or masala looks to be made from the same ingredients they were made back in the 19th Century. Plus, the blade is precisely in the centre of the hilt.
Sword:
The sword has the typical Indian Ricasso which actually helps with wielding the sword as it's not uncommon for the index finger to be rested on the bottom area of the ricasso.
The blade shows very little pitting. I can't put my finger on the material as of yet as I will be conducting a small restoration project in which one of the items on the list will be to etch the blade to see if there may be a pattern hiding under the polish.
Furthermore, the blade has a beautiful polished shine to it and is lightweight!
Stamp:
As other members of this forum have highlighted, the "Quality Stamp" on the blade located at the end of the ricasso is deeply inlaid. This would fortify the argument that the stamp was indeed put on the blade when it was still very hot.
|